By Mind Body Green Weight loss and exercise get the most attention when it comes to getting healthy in the new year, but as we’re coming off a busy holiday season, it’s vital to focus on gut health as part of an overall wellness plan. You can be eating balanced meals...

By John Berardi, Ph.D. “I’ll resume healthy eating after my vacation… once the baby is born… after Dad gets out of the hospital… January 1… Monday.” While this kind of “pause-button mentality” seems reasonable, it could be ruining your health and fitness. Here’s why,...

By Kyle Stull With weight loss being one of the common goals for clients, will recommending a daily visit to the scale improve their results? See what this study found. Journal Article: Steinberg, D.M., Bennett, G.G., Askew, S., & Tate, D.F. (2015). Weighing...

By By Rick Richey, MS, LMT, NASM-CPT, CES, PES My years of corporate education in the fitness industry have proven over and over again, to me, that people are afraid of the word “SALES.” Many people wanting to become trainers have called foul on this ominous word and...

By SCOTT KEPPEL Here we go, again. “It’s a new year and this is my year! I know I said that last year, and years in the past, but this time I mean it. No more yo-yo dieting, no more putting everyone else’s needs before mine, no more of this dead-end job, no more, no...

By FABIO COMANA Baking soda? Check out this kitchen cupboard staple’s role in exercise performance. Interestingly, December 30th is Bicarbonate of Soda Day – odd to think that we dedicate a day to commemorate a compound when so many exist. Historically, sodium...

By John Berardi, Ph.D. It’s a hot debate: Can personal trainers, health coaches, and other non-RD professionals give nutrition advice to their clients? You’ll be surprised (and relieved) to hear: Yes, to a degree. Here’s exactly what you’re allowed to say, and why...

By Amanda Vogel MA If you’re still ignoring social media as a marketing/communication tool for your fitness business in 2018, you need to catch up. With few exceptions, strategically using social media is now part of most people’s business life. There’s no need to...

By JOSH ELSESSER There are four hormones that are critical to the success of your client’s weight loss program. Cortisol, insulin, thyroid, and the sex hormones (testosterone in men, and progesterone in women). When kept in balance, these hormones have the largest...

BY NATALIE CUTLER “Insurance”: yikes. If you’re anything like me before I became a certified insurance advisor at Next Insurance , the word brings you anything from mild anxiety to extreme frustration. For me, the hardest part about working in the insurance industry...

AMANDA VOGEL, MA These shortcuts make everything from using apps to creating graphics or videos more time efficient and less finicky. Preparing a constant stream of social-media posts that are interesting to your followers can be annoyingly time-consuming. Luckily,...

By Fabio Comana Neuroplasticity was a relatively unknown term until the 1970s when scientists began accepting the notion that our brain is a not a physiologically static organ, becoming fixed shortly after birth with approximately 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) (1,...

By LAURA QUAGLIO The act of breathing seems incredibly simple, but doing it properly can be surprisingly complex–and of vital importance to your clients’ performance. HOW IT WORKS The average person’s lungs move about 0.5 liters of air with each relaxed breath. That...

By Geoff Lecovin Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a combination of biological and mood disturbances typically occurring in the autumn and winter months. SAD is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, hypersomnia, carbohydrate cravings and weight gain....

By Fabio Comana Despite growing popularity and adoption of programs incorporating heart rate (HR) zone methodology, the fitness industry in general appears to lack a solid understanding of the scientific facts and limitations to this programming concept. The goal...

By John Berardi, PhD. Worried about Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration? There are many things we can’t control when it comes to cognitive decline. But certain nutrition and lifestyle choices may help to lower our risk. Here’s how to stack the deck in your...

By John Berardi, PhD. Learning more about nutrition is one thing; turning that knowledge into results (and a thriving practice) is another. That’s why, in this article, I share seven proven business models from top health and fitness experts. Use them to grow your...

By BRIAN KENT, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Ah yes, the “Why are they doing that?” remark. We’ve all seen it. Somewhere in “Training Land”, a trainer is making a client do some movement that looks, well, rather ridiculous. It might even look so odd that the untrained eye or...

By Wayne David Clark As fitness professionals we sometimes tend to neglect our own bodies in favour of helping others achieve their goals. We become so focussed on the needs of others that our own needs tend to be placed on the back burner. Having said that a lot of...

By Geoff Lecovin Adverse gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, such as cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common problems faced by up to 90% of endurance athletes. Exercise-related gastrointestinal symptoms are inconvenient, can adversely affect performance and in...

By AMANDA VOGEL, MA How do you professionally handle negative feedback? Receiving positive feedback from group exercise participants about your performance as a fitness instructor can make your day! It feels great to be praised and confirms that you’re on the right...

By Mathew Kadey These days, farmers markets full of edible riches are popping up faster than dandelions on a pesticide-free lawn. Piling your plate high with their fresh fruits and vegetables offers a hearty helping of health benefits: among them, reduced risk of...

by Michael Rosengart, CPT, CES, CSCS In order to perform your best, you need to move well in a biomechanical way and a mobility practice will help you do exactly this. Can you get into the correct position on every exercise or drill? Do you have the ability to move...

In our modernized world, we have access to any kind of food that we crave, at any hour of the day. Our fast-food society means we can eat without preparing our own food, and chow down on red and processed meat, sugar and processed grains, sugary drinks, salt and...

By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA We can all relate to our mothers telling us to “sit up” and “don’t slouch” when we were kids but never really took it to heart. Now research is indicating that mom actually did know best about posture. Considering how often we use...

By Jessica Cording That feeling of bloat is terrible; the rock in your belly, the pants that need to be unbuttoned, like, five minutes ago. Luckily, there are a few tips that help get rid of bloat once you have it—and prevent it from ever happening again: 1. Skip the...

By Takeshi Hirata Our world has become more globalized, driven by technological advancement and changes in the economic landscape. There is a growing need to develop a set of skills that help you to successfully craft culturally-sensitive fitness services for the...

By Hanna Fillingham Sharon Stone was the definition of ageless beauty this week when attending the Women’s Choice Awards show in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening. The 57-year-old, who was honoured the prestigious icon award for her humanitarian work, took to Instagram...

By Geoff Lecovin This time of year many of us look to add a squeeze of lime to beverages and meals. See how this sour green fruit benefits health and some recipes that will add a tasty little tang on to your palate. Limes are a round green hybrid citrus fruit that...

RUSSELL WYNTER Step away from the bunny and put down the chicks! We did the math, and you may be surprised to know what kind of calorie punch these basket staples have …and what you’ll need to do to burn them off. The calorie burn numbers below are estimated based on...

GEOFF LECOVIN In the garden and on the shelves, strawberries are the spotlight of spring. Easy to grow and good for you, see what these nutritional gems have to offer! Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) are a bright red fruit with a juicy texture, characteristic aroma...

By John Berardi and Brian St. Pierre Whether you’re a personal trainer, strength coach, nutritionist, or health coach, you’re going to get a ton of nutrition questions. Heck, even if you’re just really passionate about health and fitness, you’re probably getting...

By BRIAN SUTTON Today’s typical golfer faces many challenges. Not only are golf courses becoming longer and more difficult, but today’s golfer is actually less prepared to play the game. In today’s automated society of long commutes, computers and television, many...

By NASM Have you ever dropped the ball on getting back to a prospect? Do you forget to follow up with someone that says they want to start in six months? How do you remember to reach back out to people who have taken a break? Fitness professionals have a line of...

By AMANDA VOGEL, MA With January 1 more than a month behind us, you might be noticing that some clients are slipping in their devotion to pursue their New Year’s health and fitness goals. As a personal trainer, you’re already skilled at holding clients accountable and...

By NASM It’s a definitive “yes” when it comes to walking, hiking, bike riding, playing tennis or any activity that both people can equally take part in and enjoy. These are great ways for couples to squeeze in exercise, support each other’s health, and enjoy quality...

By NASM You can navigate clients past common motivation blockers—here’s how. In comes the phone call, or maybe a text, your client—the one who did so well in the beginning—is getting in touch to say she won’t make her next session. Then it’s the one after that. When...

By Dana Bender People start practicing yoga for many different reasons. For some, it’s a desire to deepen their awareness of self and their physical body. For others, the reason is to begin a fitness program, with some choosing this practice to focus on the weight...

By Emily Bailey With so many responsibilities and not enough time, sometimes eating out seems like the most reasonable option for fueling up. Unfortunately, restaurant dishes are often loaded with calories, as well as the saturated fat, sodium and sugar that make...

By EMILY BAILEY You may be familiar with sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium regarding needs for hydration, but these nutrients are also related to many other physiologic processes in the body. Nutrients—including micronutrients, major nutrients and...

By Emily Bailey In the month of December, we are faced with many challenges that disrupt our normal eating and exercise schedules and routines. Between holiday parties and family gatherings, it is quite easy to fall off-track. To help you stay on track and energised,...

By National Acadamy of Sports Medicine As a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), it’s important to realise that just about every client you work with could be susceptible to common injuries and ailments, ranging from low-back pain to ACL tears to shoulder pain. The...

BY STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS · We’ve highlighted seven end-of-year client challenges and provided solutions to help keep them on track. Early planning and preparation can help you and your clients continue to succeed into the New Year. Though the...

By NASM Fatigue might feel as if it begins in the body, but the mind plays a key role. Though we tend to blame our bodies for fatigue, the brain actually sets the pace of energy use and holds a little energy in reserve. Here are a few ways to help clients tap that...

By KATHY KUENZER While there may be disagreement about how long the Chinese have practiced the martial art of tai chi—2,500 years or 400?—there is little dispute that in its current form, it makes practitioners feel healthier. Tai chi was originally a form of Chinese...

by Juliet Kaska Workout burnout is a common problem for the avid exerciser. Effects can be as simple as lethargy or not seeing results and as serious as severe injury and organ failure. In other words, we should not take burnout lightly—and we should take the warning...

by GEOFF LECOVIN What is one of the best choices you can make to nourish, protect and boost brain power? A simple and easy to implement answer to this question is to eat more unprocessed whole foods, which are naturally full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and...

Spirulina is a very ancient microscopic single cell blue green algae that grows in fresh water all over the world, though it is mostly harvested for consumer usage in Australia, India, China, Africa and North America. Spirulina is one of the simplest life forms on...

Movement Is Bigger Than Fitness Chandler Stevens Coach In the grand scheme of things, your PRs and race times aren’t that important. There, I’ve said it.Improving yourself is always something to be proud of, but there’s more to movement than exercise. Hang tight with...

Louise Grant discusses how pre-habilitation can help clients about to undergo hip surgery. As chartered physiotherapist, I have a specific interest in hip patients and prehabilitation generally. Prehabilitation means analysing an individual’s posture, movement...

by Ian O’Dwyer | Date Released : 17 May 2016 I recently presented four days with Tom Myers of Anatomy Trains, in Sydney (AU) and Auckland (NZ). Our workshops were directed at 1) merging the power of “hands on” and movement, 2) identifying and enhancing...

By LAUREL VAN DEN CLINE Sitting up tall is a hard habit to learn. If you tend to round forward, a variety of postural issues can affect your musculoskeletal system, as seen with upper crossed syndrome. Whether you are sitting at a desk, driving your car, or texting on...

by Dr. Kellyann Petrucci Kellyann Petrucci, ND, a leading naturopathic physician and nutritionist, is a weight-loss and natural anti-aging expert. This week, we’re sharing Dr. Petrucci’s expertise in a series on fighting inflammation for optimal health. To...

Plus a clear recipe for turning ‘bad’ fitness goals into ‘good’ ones. By John Berardi, Ph.D. If you want to achieve your health and fitness goals, you need a powerful formula, something to organize your efforts. In this article we’ll help you get organized while...

EMILY BAILEY · FEBRUARY 16, 2016 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAwareness Week) is February 21-27, 2016. This year’s theme is 3 Minutes Can Save a Life. Get Screened. Get Help. Get Healthy. The focus is on early detection. The earlier someone suffering...

Short-sightedness is reaching epidemic proportions. Some scientists think they have found a reason why. By: Elie Dolgin The southern city of Guangzhou has long held the largest eye hospital in China. But about five years ago, it became clear that the Zhongshan...

By Josh Trent With a surge of new fitness apps, wearable devices, and wellness technologies, trainers are beginning to enter the next level of smart coaching with the potential to garner more money from clients that are getting better results. This January, at the...

By National Academy of Sports Medicine Increase your heart smarts with info on how exercise impacts your heart, how to measure fitness via heart rate, and top cardio concerns fitness pros should know. How it Works Your heart weighs only about 10 ounces and is roughly...

It’s 3 in the afternoon and you can barely keep your eyes open. Your mind feels foggy, and all you want to do is curl up under your desk for 20 minutes and take a nap. But cutting-edge, productive people don’t take naps, do they? Actually, they do. It turns out...

By Emily Bailey “Well, there it is again… another disappointing number. I just don’t understand. I trained hard at the gym all this week and I know I ate healthy too. I was feeling great until I saw the number on the scale that indicated I haven’t lost a pound this...

We all know that our clients are doing good things for their bodies while we are with them, but probably not during the other hours of the week. Especially the prolonged time they potentially spend sitting, now considered detrimental to overall health. We see the...

15 and 30 Minute Workouts to Beat the Holiday Dessert Table! ‘Tis the season for stress, missed workouts, and falling off the workout wagon. We tell ourselves and our clients every season, year in and year out, to make time for their workout. But the holiday season...

We’ve highlighted seven end-of-year client challenges and provided solutions to keep them on track. Early planning and preparation can help you and your clients continue to succeed into the New Year. Though the weight gain during the six weeks of the end-of-year...

By Fabio Comana Type 1 Diabetes is caused by factors that include our own autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing (beta-) cells within the pancreas, or due to some genetic variant or inherited gene, and accounts for approximately 5 – 10% of all diagnosed cases...

Plan ahead to avoid holiday overeating and weight gain. The holiday eating frenzy has started! Halloween brought a sugar-packed caloric jump start.to the holiday celebrations, and with all that candy still around and more seasonal treats to come, it’s not easy to eat...

By Emily Bailey “Well, there it is again… another disappointing number. I just don’t understand. I trained hard at the gym all this week and I know I ate healthy too. I was feeling great until I saw the number on the scale that indicated I haven’t lost a pound this...

Post Operative Breast Cancer TRX Exercises The more I learn, the less I know. I’ve been a fitness and nutrition professional for 11 years now but it is moments like these where I set out to understand something that is outside my experience that I am most humbled....

By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA We all know that our clients are doing good things for their bodies while we are with them, but probably not during the other hours of the week. Especially the prolonged time they potentially spend sitting, now considered detrimental...

Looking for an easy way to assess your client’s current level of cardio and aerobic efficiency? Using the talk test to identify their ventilatory threshold can help do just that. Plus, learning to apply this information gives you the details needed to design their...

Adults over 50 who are caring for ageing parents are not like other fitness clients of similar age. For starters, caregivers tend to be less healthy. A study by the insurance company MetLife noted that “adult children 50+ who work and provide care to a parent are more...

STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS In addition to improving your clients’ fitness, have you looked for ways to use your expertise and services to benefit a cause? With a little planning and creativity you can help make a positive impact. Share your social...

By Ben Greenfield As a successful fitness trainer — I get a lot of questions about how people can become healthier versions of themselves. Most of the time, they want to know the absolute fastest way to lose weight, tone up, build muscle or as I like to call it,...

By Geoff Lecovin, MS, DC, ND, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS, WLS Introduction Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin” was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets. Circa...

By Claudia Friedlander, DMus, NASM-CPT As a voice teacher, I was drawn to fitness to develop a sports-specific training protocol for singers. Corrective exercise techniques are often just as important as vocalises for helping my students to become the best singers...

By Dr. Joel Kahn October 29, 2014 8:16 AM EDT As a student of health promotion, I know there are redundant systems in our bodies that promote artery function (think optimal heart, brain, and sexual performance) which make me just shake my head in appreciation and...

By Geoff Lecovin, MS, DC, ND, NASM- CPT, CES, PES, FNS, WLS Introduction Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin” was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets....

Have we fallen in love with convenient, processed foods? With busy schedules, fast-food restaurants on every corner, and an abundance of comfort foods available (even at the local Starbucks), it’s no wonder we opt for all those fatty, salty and sweet foods. It just...

By: Meredith Butulis, DPT, CIMP, ACSM HFS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, BBU Pilates, Life Time Academy Instructor The changing of seasons can bring about the onset of colds, viruses, and even flus. Some of these illnesses can last several weeks, sidelining your hard work....

The Smart Trainer’s Kitchen: Eight Delicious Meals for Every Situation Posted on September 14, 2014 by National Academy of Sports Medicine Don’t let your clients indulge in excuses about why they can’t eat right. It’s simple. Suggest healthy recipes that can be made...

Posted By Samuel on Oct 28, 2014 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this is the most important meal that millions of 9 to 5 office goers often choose to give a miss all thanks to severe shortage of time to fix it in the busy weekday mornings. If you...

By Joe Vennare for Life by Daily Burn It seems logical — a toned tummy is the by-product of a million sit-ups. At least that’s what the late-night infomercials lead us to believe. Plus, gym-goers everywhere appear to be using Swiss balls, ab wheels and...

By Stacey Penney, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES,FNS Age is more than a number- it’s an opportunity to serve a growing population. Every day we are bombarded with statistics on seniors and baby boomers, and the customer potential they can bring. But what do trainers (or club...

Three trainers with nearly 60 combined years of experience share their advice for creating a long—and fulfilling—career. By Mike Woelflein Printed in NASM’s The Training Edge, Sep/Oct 2014 Personal training is a growing field—and the growth shows no sign of slowing....